I just planted it in the spring and there are these pods growing on the branches, if I remove one there is a sticky orangish red substance inside, also note the smaller white specs on branches as well, it is also constantly covered in ants... it seems to be relatively healthy otherwise, the leaves aren’t bad or being completely eaten, but I want To know what is going on before it is too late
Greetings, welcome to the Forums
Your
Magnolia x 'Ann' is infested with only one species of Scale (Coccoidea) known as Magnolia Scale (
Neolecanium cornuparvum). The larger grey-pink scales shown are adult females. The smaller white scales are immature (nymph) males that have not yet become winged adults.
Neolecanium cornuparvum is one of the larger scale insects known, with Adult females often being over a half inch in diameter.
As there is only have one, relatively small newly planted tree, the first step of control should be to scrub off as many scale as possible with a plastic scouring pad or old toothbrush. Use the appropriate tool and pressure to remove the scale but not damage the tree's bark. Not every last scale will be killed this way, but you will improve the odds that the population will be sufficiently reduced. The second step will be to spray the tree with horticultural oil. Do this two or three times. First, immediately during Summer to kill as many remaining adult scale as possible, and then later when newly hatched crawlers first emerge. also do it again in late Winter to kill any remaining crawlers that will begin the cycle again next year.
